


A Rose Is A Rose

by SimplyTsundere



Series: Writing Requests [10]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Concert Pianist Levi, Firefighter Eren, Isabel and Farlan and Levi are Siblings, M/M, One Shot, Three Things Prompt - A Storm & Loud Music Playing At 3am & A Phone Call, Writing request, anon request
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 06:42:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10714257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplyTsundere/pseuds/SimplyTsundere
Summary: After a drunken bet on a week's worth of graveyard shifts, Eren Jaeger is forced out into the middle of a storm to ask a man on a date. The man is one he'd met only once and only to keep the fire in his kitchen from spreading any farther after opening the alight microwave. Armed with only his captain, who is friends with the man he knows next to nothing about, on the phone to help him and make sure he keeps true to the bet Eren must find a way to get to ask out the man. Only with music rattling the walls Eren has no way to ensure that he'll be heard. How exactly is he supposed to get the man's attention? Well, luckily he has someone to guide the way and suggest the most ludicrous of things along the way.





	A Rose Is A Rose

**Author's Note:**

> Haha, okay guys, I had two versions of this request typed up but ultimately this one was chosen. Having a little fun at Eren's expense never hurt, right? I hope you'll all enjoy this and thank you to the Anon who requested it!
> 
> ~Hugs & Kisses,  
> ❤♠Neko❤♠

“What the hell are you talking about, Farlan?” Eren groaned as he sat in the driver’s seat of his car watching as the heavy rain pelted the windshield.

The voice on the other end of the phone chuckled “Haha, what does it sound? Just go for it, Kid. I’ll be on the phone with you the whole time. The rules were it has to be tonight so you gotta go for it.” It was times like this he really hated that he’d taken that call last month. So what if the strange guy who had set his microwave on fire was attractive? Like it was seriously his fault that he also happened to be friends with the chief and the captain. Erwin and Farlan were teasing him since he’d had to keep the guy’s kitchen fire from spreading any farther and couldn’t stop staring ending up causing some flames to jump. Eren hated that the whole pack mentality of firemen was so legitimate sometimes. Jean and Reiner had also joined in on his teasing and so after a drunken night he’d been conned into wager that he couldn’t ask the guy out or it was a week’s graveyard shifts.

Of course on the night they agreed on it would happen to storm so hard powerlines had crashed. Visibility in the monsoon-esque downpour was near zero and yet he still had to manage to go ask this guy out before he left town for two weeks. His captain, Farlan, had been childhood friends with the guy and it seemed the fire chief, Erwin, had been around since college. Leave it to Eren to step into pure shit. Glossy raven hair framing a sharp jaw line, piercing steel blue eyes, contrasting to his alabaster skin the man was gorgeous. From his attire, and his home, it was like he could have waltzed straight off a magazine cover.

Though he knew the man’s friends they’d refused to tell him anything about him aside from the fact that he was terrified of thunderstorms. Something about the sound of rolling thunderclaps sent him through the roof. It wasn’t much to know about someone but nonetheless it was all he had. They hadn’t even given him a name but he was there getting off a shift at 3am just to ask this guy out before he left. His only help was Farlan Church who was tasked with making sure he did the deed.

As he groaned Eren pushed open the door of the car and approached the massive brick home trying his best to outrun the downpour. Of course such a task as running from the rain was useless but he wasn’t entirely soaked as he stared down the thick wooden door adorned with a heavy gold knocker. Before even attempting to knock the only thing he could hear was the melodic flow of music. The tempo was fast and he was pretty sure the music was in a crescendo as the volume began to practically rattle the windows. There was no way in hell if he knocked that he’d be heard even if he attempted it.

“Farlan,” Eren groaned, brushing back damp, mocha hair “he’s not even gonna be able to hear me from the music coming from this place. Are you sure about this? It’s pouring rain, thundering, lightning, and to top it all off it’s 3 in the fucking morning. I don’t think he’s gonna much appreciate it.”

“Well, he’s a sucker for cheesy romantic gestures and this might as well an 80’s movie. Plus the deal was ask him out. Didn’t say anything about him having to say yes. I’m here to make sure you do it and to help you increase the odds that he will,” Farlan cackled as he listed to the frustration and hesitation in Eren’s voice.

Grumbling at his response Eren had to ask “How the hell am I supposed to get him to answer the damn door when he can’t even hear me?”

Pausing for a moment Farlan replied with a devious tone “There’s always the veranda out back. From what it sounds like he’s upstairs in his bedroom anyway and that’s where it leads. Just knock on the glass door and I’m sure he’d see you.”

“What?!” Eren screeched at the impossible idea. Why in the hell was that idea even on the list?! Who the fuck would just scale someone’s veranda, in the middle of a storm, at 3am?! Farlan knew the guy better than anyone apparently but that didn’t mean it gave him a green light to just walk up on his balcony and knock on his bedroom door. So what if he was playing piano music so loudly that he couldn’t hear the door downstairs? What right did that give him to scare the dude? It was his luck that he would be shot for doing something that fucking crazy…on the other hand working another set of night shifts for a week wasn’t exactly on his to-do list.

Farlan came through the receiver with a sigh “What do you mean, Kid? I told you. Go around to the back of the house.” Without much to say in response Eren wrapped his arms around himself and jogged off to the left of the property following a small stone path. Once there the street lamp illuminated the area bathing the backyard in a bright light allowing him to make out the area. Rose bushes were lining the side of the stone home following up to the back, sliding glass door. Trimmed with lattice the balcony hovered high over the door. The only things around the area were the patio furniture and the plants.

“The fuck, Farlan?” Eren whispered “How am I supposed to get up there? There’s nothing for me to use.”

“You’re a fireman, Eren,” he stated flatly “and one of mine. I know you can climb up there. Tough it out and climb up the lattice.”

“Are you shittin’ me? Farlan, there’s rose bushes coiled up through it. I’m gonna get my ass handed to me by some fucking flowers if I try to climb that shit,” Eren huffed as he stood getting pelting by the falling rain as he examined other potential paths.

He heard a slight snicker as Farlan shook his head as if he could see “Tsk, tsk, Eren. Is the risk not worth the reward? In fact, why don’t you cut one and take it with you to give to him? He loves red roses.”

Judging from the roses he could have guessed that much “No shit. You really want me to cut one of the roses, from his own rose bush, to give to him? What the hell is wrong with you, sir?”

There was a scoff “Hmph. Nothing is wrong with me, Eren, so just do it. Trust me. I know him. It’s fine. Just take one and climb your pansy ass up that fucking lattice.” Resigning himself to the idea he bent down and pulled the knife sheathed in his boot to cut one of the roses. Preferring to keep it with a long stem he slid the crimson bloom into his shirt pocket, along with his phone, and returned the knife to it’s place inside his boot. Taking care to not injure himself and assure himself the lattice could hold his weight Eren placed a testing foot into the gap and jumped.

When the slick wood didn’t give beneath his foot he began to gradually make his way up to the edge of the veranda. Water pooled atop the stone ledge so he did his best to make sure he had a secure hold before attempting to drop his weight and pull himself up. It was much harder than he’d anticipated but at least he managed to tumble over and land onto the drenched surface. His clothes were now completely soaked, clinging to every possible inch of his skin, and his hair was slicked to his face. At best he was pretty sure he looked like a drowned rat and in the least? Well he didn’t even want to think of that one.

Once he got to his feet he took a couple of steps forward where he could see the source of the blaring music. Long, pale fingers stretched gracefully over keys of ivory and ebony. In the bedroom everything was adorned in burgundy and cream and with his striking features the man looked so perfectly nestled in it’s midst. Eren couldn’t believe a man that beautiful was sitting just several feet in front of him, headphones in his ears, dressed in a white button up and black slacks. It was so early in the morning but he supposed with the volume of the music flowing from his fingertips it was a good thing he lived without neighbors close by.

Attempting to steel himself Eren took a deep breath and began to hold a fist to the glass door. Some part of him knew this wasn’t a good idea. Who in their right mind would willingly approach a stranger in the rain, on their balcony, in the early hours of the morning? Certainly not him. Dropping his hand and taking a step back Eren decided that graveyard shifts wouldn’t be the end of him. It wasn’t worth ruining this guy’s night and scaring the living hell out of him just for a bet. Why he didn’t see it sooner he wasn’t sure but he was leaving.

Just as he turned to climb off the balcony he saw a flash and heard the music stop. Glancing over his shoulder on instinct he saw the man cautiously approaching the glass. Immediately Eren froze. Oh this was not supposed to happen. It wasn’t supposed to happen! He was trying to leave!

When the door opened the man crossed his arms over his chest, furrow sinking into his brows as he removed his headphones “Who are you and what the fuck are you doing on my terrace?”

Hearing the strength in his voice Eren cringed and turned to him with a smile “You never got my name but it’s Eren. Eren Jaeger. I’m--”

“The firefighter,” the man sighed “and you’re doing what on my property spying on me?”

“Well that’s the thing,” Eren offered rapidly “see I was having drinks with the other guys and they heard that I thought you were hot they decided to tease me about it. I didn’t know you were friends with my chief and my captain. I got drunk with them after work last night and this fucker bet me that I didn’t have the balls to ask you out tomorrow. It’s tomorrow and I agreed to make the bet on a week’s worth of graveyard shifts. Only problem was the captain and the chief heard about it. They told me you’re going out of town and I just got off work so it had to be now or never. I swear to god I was about to leave and I---”

Upon hearing the racing words the shorter man smirked and stepped away from the door “Just stop talking before my fucking ear falls off. C’mon in and dry off. I’d say it was so you don’t catch cold but from what I hear idiots don’t catch colds.”

Nodding Eren walked into the bedroom and apologized “I’m sorry. I really wasn’t going to disturb you tonight.”

Scoffing the man shook his head, walked out of the room, and into what Eren presumed was the bathroom before returning to toss him a towel “Well you already have so dry off before you drip all over my floors.”

“Again, sorry,” Eren sighed as he toweled himself off “and thank you.”

“Oh don’t thank me just yet, Eren,” reaching a hand into the breast pocket of his shirt the man removed his phone hit a button and began to speak “but thank you for the warning Farlan. I appreciate it.”

Farlan’s voice crackled through the speaker “Hahaha! You’re welcome, Levi, and have fun! Don’t be too hard on Kid, huh?”

“No promises, see ya, man,” he replied with a wolfish grin as he ended the call and looked to Eren. “You’ve been on the phone with me and Farlan the whole time but my end of the call was on mute which is why you heard nothing…but me? Oh I could hear _you_ just fine.”

Immediately, Eren’s turquoise eyes widened owlishly “So...I...you…” He sighed and rushed his hands over his flushing cheeks _“Oh my god.”_

“What?” He grinned “Are you embarrassed to have a crush on a man you had to save from a fire in his kitchen? I admit it was not my _proudest_ moment but I forget you can’t put your teacup in the microwave even if it’s your favorite because the metal in the trim may catch fire. I wish for my cabinet’s sake I’d have remembered that.”

Taking a seat in the floor Eren looked up him “I’m a little embarrassed but I guess we both get to see other look like a complete idiot, huh?”

“Perhaps. Allow me to level the playing field for you. My name is Levi Ackerman and I’m a concert pianist. Now I believe you have something for me?” Levi asked with a teasing tone as he arched a perfectly groomed brow.

For a moment he was confused until he recalled the rose in his jacket and handed it to him as he got to his feet “I wouldn’t have guessed a pianist but you play so beautifully. Here, I guess this rose by any other name...is still just a rose that’s yours _this time.”_

“Thank you,” he smiled softly “I suppose this time it is because if you know your poetry a rose is just a rose. Isn’t there something you’d like to ask of me?”

Eren nodded “I believe the line is _‘a rose is a rose is a rose is a rose.’”_ Reaching out a timid hand to the porcelain cheek  “Would you like to have dinner with me when you come back from your trip?”

Levi leaned his face into the touch “Hmmm, sorry but _no.”_

Taken aback Eren still managed to smile “And why not, hmm? Because I broke in?”

He shook his head “Not quite. Always said I’d never date my brother’s friends.”

 _“Brother?”_ Eren asked confused.

“Farlan? He didn’t tell you? We’re not related by blood but we were adopted together along with our little sister,” he replied as if it were basic knowledge “so while I would love to, I really shouldn’t.”

“Good thing your brother is an asshole,” Eren chuckled “and didn’t disconnect the call. He’s still on my line in my pocket. Aren’t you, Asshole?”

As he removed his phone from the inside of his pocket he turned it on speaker allowing Farlan to admit it “Guilty as charged. If you wanna go out with him, Levi, just throw Kid a bone. And not _that_ bone.”

Levi clicked his teeth “I love you, Farlan, but right now I could do without the sibling teasing. Eren, you have one night, two weeks from now at 9pm at the Glassia downtown. I’ll make a reservation. If you’re not there by 9:01pm I will leave. I’m a very busy man and I cannot afford to waste time.”

“My brother is not one to be trifled with, Kid, so be on time and dress well. I’ll make sure you get the evening off,” Farlan spoke over the phone.

“Yes, sir, I understand,” Eren replied before the line cut off “Now, I must be getting home so I’ll see you in two weeks.”  
  
Upon leading Eren downstairs to the front door Levi stretched up on the tips of the toes to press a gentle kiss to his cheek “Looking forward to it.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Also for those of you curious the line "A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose," comes from Gertrude Stein's poem Sacred Emily.


End file.
